Physical Safety Training for Social Workers

Thursday, September 25, 2025, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM ET

University of Michigan School of Social Work, Room 1840 (ECC)

Continuing Education Offered

• 2.5 hours regular in-person

Description

Safety is subjective and context dependent, and as such, a structured physical safety training program tailored to empower social workers enables social workers from all different backgrounds and life experiences to protect themselves. And, by equipping social workers with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate various safety challenges, we can ensure a more comprehensive and responsive approach to service delivery in both micro and macro social work settings.

Physical Safety Training for Social Workers will provide participants with tools to appropriately address work-place physical safety risks through practice of verbal boundary setting and physical self-defense skills. The skills taught in this course are intended to be easy to use and easy to remember; and are meant to be accessible for a range of physical abilities, and adaptations will be taught as needed.

Objectives

1. Describe the importance of work-place communication in preventing and preparing for physical safety risks.
2. Apply verbal techniques to effectively set physical safety boundaries within professional social work settings.
3. Describe physical disengagement and self-defense skills to effectively set physical safety boundaries within professional social work settings.

Agenda

Thursday, September 25, 2025

• 9:00am–9:15am Introduction and Contexts of Safety
• 9:15am–9:45am Prebrief and debrief
• 9:45am–10:00am Break
• 10:00am–11:00am Verbal and Physical Skills
• 11:00am–11:15am Break
• 11:15am–11:45am Verbal and Physical Skills
• 11:45am–12:00pm Closing

Instructor

Anika Sproull is a social worker and self-defense instructor specializing in crisis response and community safety. With a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, she currently serves as a Crisis Services Professional with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health. Anika has developed physical safety training for social service professionals, integrating self-defense with boundary setting and de-escalation techniques. Since 2009, she has taught self-defense across diverse populations, empowering individuals to enhance their personal safety. Anika is excited to bring her expertise to the University of Michigan School of Social Work, supporting social workers in their critical roles.

CE Approval Statement

The University of Michigan School of Social Work, provider #1212, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The University of Michigan School of Social Work maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 5/15/2023-5/15/2026.

Social workers participating in this course will receive 2.5 general continuing education contact hours.

Please see the CE Policies page for more information about continuing education.